I'm not sure what you mean by acid orb. I can't find it anywhere. Do you perhaps mean acid splash?
Uhhh, purify food and water would certainly not work. I'm not even sure what you're trying to accomplish with that besides sober somebody up with an arrow to the stomach, but the limits of the spell clearly don't allow it to work that way.
yeah, it wouldn't stick. If you cast acid orb on an arrow, the arrow would take damage. Simple as that. If it was Spell Storing arrows, on the other hand, you could shot spells.
About that purified water... maybe this?
Welp, permanency does actually have a specific list of which spells it can be cast on.
Basically, the question to ask isn't "Can you imbue arrow tips without permanency?", since no one is using permanency to imbue arrows. A better question would be "How can I imbue arrows with magic?"
Go with enchanted arrows (magic weapons) for specific abilities like Flaming and the like. That's how people normally get magic arrows, and that's the way you should, too.
And as mentioned, Spell Storing is an alternative.
And something I have been playing around with is Magic Device Traps as arrows, but you'll need to have the feat Create Wondrous Items, and I don't recommend you to try your hands on it. It makes for some interesting situational arrows, but as with all custom magic items, needs serious consideration to make it balanced. (And your GM needs to approve of your items). It's quite a hassle.
Ok so i have a question about putting magic effects onto arrow tips.
If i wanted a party member to put acid orb onto my arrow before i launch it at an enemy, would the spell "stick" and would i be able to have the spell trigger on impact or would i need to make magic ammunition or have permancy cast on the arrows?
All you would accomplish is doing some acid damage....to the arrow. Without the ability to specifically do so, you can't just put spells in arrows.
Side note. What would happen if i had "purify food and water" on a arrow tip and activated it to purify the water inside an enemy?
Fresh blood is a perfectly legitimate foodstuff.
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And something I have been playing around with is Magic Device Traps as arrows, but you'll need to have the feat Create Wondrous Items, and I don't recommend you to try your hands on it. It makes for some interesting situational arrows, but as with all custom magic items, needs serious consideration to make it balanced. (And your GM needs to approve of your items). It's quite a hassle.
If you are enchanting a weapon you need Craft Magic Arms and Armor.
Enchanting it as a trap with Craft wondrous items will create an arrow sized object that to something when touched/moved and so on, not when used as a weapon.
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Note the target of Purify Food and Drink:
Target 1 cu. ft./level of contaminated food and water
It work only on food and drinks (RAW only on water, so it will not work on poisoned ale or tea).
So it will not destroy a block of arsenic or lead because they are poisonous, it will only remove the arsenic or lead that contaminate food or drinks.
Edit: if we do a leap of logic and consider that humans are food for some creature, it will do a lot of nice things:
- it will remove all trace pollutants from our body, like those asbestos fibers in our lugs (we all have a few), nicotine traces from the hands of smokers, lead, mercury and so on from our bodies;
- it will kill/remove parasites and diseases that can be transmitted by eating us.
A hell of preventive treatment. done a couple of times in a year will probably extend our life, or at least improve its quality protecting us from several diseases.
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There is a class of character who can "imbue arrows" in the manner you describe: the Arcane Archer. His signature ability is "imbue arrow" and it is very cool indeed, since you can have an area effect spell activate at the location of a target you hit.
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What I don't get in the original question is this implied notion that you *can* use permanency to apply spell effects to arrows. AFAIK, permanency was never intended to apply magical effects to weapons, as such.
Admitedly, it does specify a list of spells that can be applied to objects or areas, with no clear restrictions on the nature of those objects. A few of the spells on that list (web, stinking cloud...) look like they could be useful in a weaponized capacipty, but it seems awfully expensive to do it that way - especially since most arrows are destroyed on use. I guess you'd want to start with durable arrows...
But the real problem wouldn't be there. It would be with the spell trigger method. If you have permanency on a web spell in a corridor or on a chest, say, the web spell is there, always active, always restricting movement, and so on. It doesn't just activate and reactivate an infinite number of times at your command. It activates once, at the time you set it in place, and the effects are permanent until dispelled. So if you put a permanent stinking cloud spell on an arrow, you'd better keep that puppy inside a bag of holding or something, or you and your pals are going to be sickened all the time, not to mention unable to see targets beyond five feet. And as soon as you draw it to shoot something, your vision will be immediately obscured so that you can't see your target.
The OP really wants to be an arcane archer or a grenadier alchemist.
There are some situational enchantment (such as bane or holy) that are good to put on arrows.
If you are enchanting a weapon you need Craft Magic Arms and Armor.
Yes, the rules are pretty straightforward there, no use argumenting. I agree that you wouldn't be able to deal normal damage with the enchanted arrow in addition to the spell inscribed.
Enchanting it as a trap with Craft wondrous items will create an arrow sized object that to something when touched/moved and so on, not when used as a weapon.
The important part is how and when the magic device trap triggers.
If the trigger spot was a specific part of the arrow, so that the magic device trap only activated when shot at someone/something, then that would allow it to "be used as a weapon". You might not be able to deal normal damage in addition to activating the magic device trap, but it would still allow you to shot certain spells at people.
You will have to custom create magic arrows with Craft Magic Arms and Armor.
The market price for a single arrow (assuming the minimum of a +1 arrow) would be: 46 gp (base market price of a +1 arrow; actually 46 gp, 5 cp) + (spell level x caster level x 50 gp)*
The market price for creating a batch of 50 arrows at once would be: 2,302 gp, 5 sp + (spell level x caster level x 2,000 gp / 2)**
BTW, spell storing arrows are not valid: "This special ability can only be placed on melee weapons."
*- Market price for a single use, use activated effect; i.e., activated by firing from a bow/striking a target
**- Market price for use activated or continuous, 50 charges.
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If you are enchanting a weapon you need Craft Magic Arms and Armor.Yes, the rules are pretty straightforward there, no use argumenting. I agree that you wouldn't be able to deal normal damage with the enchanted arrow in addition to the spell inscribed.
Enchanting it as a trap with Craft wondrous items will create an arrow sized object that to something when touched/moved and so on, not when used as a weapon.The important part is how and when the magic device trap triggers.
** spoiler omitted **
If the trigger spot was a specific part of the arrow, so that the magic device trap only activated when shot at someone/something, then that would allow it to "be used as a weapon". You might not be able to deal normal damage in addition to activating the magic device trap, but it would still allow you to shot certain spells at people.
You are firing it? You are using it as a weapon.
The effect trigger when you fire it? You are using it as a weapon.That require you to have Craft Magic Arms and Armor.
Examples of ranged weapons that do what you are trying to do:
Javelin of Lightning
This javelin becomes a 5d6 lightning bolt when thrown (Reflex DC 14 half). It is consumed in the attack.
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, lightning bolt; Cost 750 gpScreaming Bolt
These +2 bolts scream when fired, forcing all enemies of the wielder within 20 feet of the path of the bolt to succeed on a DC 14 Will save or become shaken. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, doom; Cost 137 gpSleep Arrow
This +1 arrow is painted white and has white fletching. If it strikes a foe so that it would normally deal damage, it instead bursts into magical energy that deals nonlethal damage (in the same amount as would lethal damage) and forces the target to make a DC 11 Will save or fall asleep.
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, sleep; Cost 70 gp
The sleep arrow in particular do exactly what you want to do and it require Craft Magic Arms and Armor.
The effect trigger when you fire it? You are using it as a weapon.
That is not exactly true, since the Magic Device Traps trigger when they hit, not when they are fired.
Screaming Bolt
These +2 bolts scream when fired, forcing all enemies of the wielder within 20 feet of the path of the bolt to succeed on a DC 14 Will save or become shaken. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, doom; Cost 137 gpSleep Arrow
This +1 arrow is painted white and has white fletching. If it strikes a foe so that it would normally deal damage, it instead bursts into magical energy that deals nonlethal damage (in the same amount as would lethal damage) and forces the target to make a DC 11 Will save or fall asleep.
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, sleep; Cost 70 gp
These two does both have an enhancement bonus, meaning that they are weapons. The main difference between Magic Device Traps and Magic Weapons is that the former can't be used to deal damage in addition to the magic effect. If they deal the "normal" damage, then they are Magic Weapons.
Javelin of Lightning
This javelin becomes a 5d6 lightning bolt when thrown (Reflex DC 14 half). It is consumed in the attack.
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, lightning bolt; Cost 750 gp
This one does fill the criteria for being a Magic Device Trap, and would disprove my statement. However, it is not a Magic Weapon by definition.
A magic weapon is enhanced to strike more truly and deliver more damage. Magic weapons have enhancement bonuses ranging from +1 to +5.
It is the only (I checked the majority of the Weapons) Specific Magic Weapon which doesn't have an enhancement bonus. It doesn't even require an attack roll! This javelin is actually just a spell-replicating item. An item which does have more in common with a Necklace of Fireballs than a +1 Javelin.
I believe it is only a Magic Weapon for flavour. One could easily replicate this item with Craft Wondrous Items. The main difference is that you can throw several of these with high enough BAB, while Wondrous Items often requires standard actions.
The pricing for a Magic Device Trap is the same as for "Single Use, Use Activated" items, exactly as potions. Did you ever wonder why there haven't been any potions which replicate spells with negative effects? That's because there already exists a group of items which cover that field.
However, from your examples, I have come to understand that one shouldn't be able to activate several Magic Device Traps during one round.